Thursday, November 30, 2017

Rise of The Microgrid

A basic Microgrid design (c/o Energy.gov)

With global instability on the uptick in multiple ways, many
industries are reconsidering even the most basic of traditional models. The
recent horrors Hurricanes like Maria and Irma inflicted exposed the fragility of the
standard energy grid, and proved that, while the US national grid may not be as
vulnerable to natural disaster everywhere, it could very well need to adapt in
order to survive.

In this context, the microgrid as an option can
be seen as a national asset. Microgrids, a largely American phenomenon so far
(almost 54% of all microgrid systems are in the US), are site-specific energy infrastructures
designed to work within the greater energy grid while also functioning independently.
Moreover, because they are designed to distribute energy locally, microgrids do
not lose as much in transmission, and so are very cost-efficient. Most microgrids are also designed for flexible
integration, so as technology improves, they can adopt innovative models
without needing to be remade, which usually results in costly shutdowns for
traditional grid services.

At the recent COP23 Conference in Bonn, Germany, microgrids
were a chief interest among investors and government officials, alike. Pittsburgh
Mayor Joe Peduto represented his city’s brugeoning microgrid community, which
has demonstrated itself as quite ahead of other areas of the field. While still
in development, the existing microgrid, created and implemented at the nearby
University of Pittsburgh engineering department, has already been planned to
complement other nearby microgrids, resulting in a chain system. This design is
ideal for a mid-sized city like Pittsburgh, which may see population and
business fluctuation in an uncertain future, and can unlink or link its
multiple energy grids with ease, depending on demand.

In addition, microgrid technology has the extra advantage of
being an ideal line of defense against cyberwarfare. Because of their
flexibility within the larger grid, microgrids can be both connected and
disconnected- a process called “islanding”- when cybersecurity compromises the
integrity of national systems. With this in mind, defense interests have a good
reason to consider how to assist in quick and efficient microgrid integration.

The success of microgrids in natural disasters has alreadybeen demonstrated in the past few months. While Puerto Rico and St. Croix
continue with majority power loss, other Carribbean islands that were already
implementing microgrid technology had working water and electricity the day
after Maria passed them by. St. Eustatius made good use of its 4 megawatts of
solar energy as well as battery storage and inverter infrastructure. Necker
Island (home to Virgin Group owner Richard Branson) was also able to sustain
damage from Hurricane Irma, even to its solar panels, due to its
state-of-the-art microgrid.

Necker Island's Microgrid

As America looks forward, the idea of the small-scale model
seems more and more beneficial for businesses looking to revitalize communities
sooner rather than later. The microgrid not only already benefits from a proven
track record, but a climate of necessity, as well.